Selective carriage movement control arrangement



w. KLINGNER 2,992,718

July 18, 1961 SELECTIVE CARRIAGE MOVEMENT CONTROL ARRANGEMENT Filed March 1, 1960 United States Patent 2,992,718 SELECTIVE CARRIAGE MOVEMENT CONTROL ARRANGEMENT Wolfgang Klingner, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, assignor to Olympia Werke 'AG., Wilhelmshaven, Germany Filed Mar. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 12,106 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 2, 1959 12 Claims. (Cl. 197-33) The present invention relates to a selective carriage movement control arrangement for a typewriter, and more particularly to an arrangement in which actuation of certain keys of a typewriter will effect a stepwise spacing movement of the carriage either when the typewriter is in the position associated with lower case characters, or in the position associated with upper case characters.

The arrangement has the effect that the paper is not transported after an imprint has been made, if the typewriter is, for example, in the upper case character position. However, when the shift key is actuated to shift the typewriter to the lower case character position, actuation of the same typewriter key will not only effect an imprint, but also a spacing step of the carriage.

In the arrangement of the prior art serving a similar purpose, each type lever action is individually separated from the escapement mechanism of the typewriter carriage, when a spacing step of the carriage is not desired. This results in a rather complicated construction which cannot be combined with standard typewriters, but which requires the building of special typewriters.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the typewriters of the prior art serving the same purpose, and to provide a selective carriage movement control arrangement of simple construction which can be built without difliculty into a standard type- Writer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a typewriter with a plurality of dead keys, which do not effect a spacing step when the typewriter is, for example, in the lower case position, but will effect a spacing step when the carriage is, for example, in the upper case position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a common linkage between the type lever actions including a dead key, and the escapement mechanism by which the spacing movement of the carriage is effected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a typewriter which is particularly suitable for oriental languages in which several characters have to be superimposed, and which consequently require dead keys.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for effecting a spacing step after the imprint of a character associated with a dead key, if such spacing step is desired.

For typing Korean characters, for example, fourteen dead keys, and twelve keys which sometimes require spacing steps, and sometimes must have the characteristics of dead keys, are required.

It is :also an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement in which dead keys can be coupled to a mechanism which effects transport of the carriage only in one of the two shif-ted positions of the type lever segment of the typewriter.

With these objects in view, the present invention relates to a carriage movement control arrangement which comprises a carriage transporting member shiftable in vertical direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters. and lower case characters, and being movable in horizontal direction for effecting a carriage step; and an actuating member movable in horizontal direction and being located ZfiQZJl Patented Juiy 18, 1961 opposite the transporting member only in one of the shifted positions of the transporting member. Consequently, the operated actuating member will effect a spacing step of the carriage when located opposite the transporting member, and will pass the transporting member when the same is in the other shifted position. The apparatus of the present invention further includes a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means operatively connecting each type lever action with the actuating member for operating the same when any one of the type lever actions is actuated. In this manner, carriage transport is effected by the type lever actions only when the transporting member is either in the position associated with upper case characters, or in the position associated with lower case characters.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linkage means include a coupling member connected to each type lever action so that the respective key becomes a dead key if the coupling connection is interrupted.

The linkage means preferably include a linkage bar having a plurality of slots respectively associated with the type lever actions, and in this embodiment, the coupling members are wires articulated to intermediate levers of the type lever actions and hooked into the respective slots of the linkage bar.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a type lever action includes a key lever 1, an articulated link 3, an intermediate lever 2, a connecting wire link 4, and a type lever 5. A plurality of type lever actions is arranged in a row, and each intermediate lever 2 is turnably mounted on a supporting shaft 9. The type levers 5 cooperate with a platen 20 on a carriage 16 which includes a rack bar 18 cooperating with the pinion 19 of the escapement mechanism 17. The escapement mechanism 17 includes a transporting member 15 which moves up and down in the direction of the arrow A when the type lever segment 15a is shifted between upper case character position and lower case character position. Transporting member 15 is movable in horizontal direction, transverse to the direction of shifting of the carriage, to actuate the escapement mechanism 17 so that the carriage moves one horizontal spacing step whenever rearward movement of transporting member 15 in the direction of the arrow B effects stepwise turning of the ratchet wheel 17a, and of the pinion 19.

The upper position of transporting member 15 is shown in solid lines, while the lower position 1512 of transporting member 15 is shown in broken lines.

Shaft 9 supports the two arms 8:: of a U-shaped linkage member 8 whose horizontal connecting portion has a plurality of slots 7. Each slot is located opposite one intermediate lever 2 of one of the type lever actions, and coupled to the same by a coupling member in the form of a Wire 6 which is inserted into a bore in the respective intermediate lever 2, and has a hook portion detachably inserted into the respective slot 7. When any one of the key levers 1 is depressed, the respective intermediate lever 2 will effect a turning movement of the linkage member 8 about shaft 9, while the coupling members 6 of the other intermediate levers 2 will move in the elongated slots 7 associated therewith so that the other type lever actions are not affected.

A support 13 extends along the linkage member 8, and turnably supports a shaft 12 on which a single actuating member 14 is fixed. Shaft 12 carries another fixed lever 11 which is articulated to a link 10 connected to one arm 8a of the linkage member 8. Consequently, turning of linkage member 8 under control of a type lever action, will effect turning of shaft 12, and of the actuating member 14 in counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawing.

Actuating member 14 has a projecting part 14a which extends a short distance in vertical direction, and is located opposite an edge of transporting member 15 when the same is in its upper position shown in solid lines in the drawing.

When transporting member 15 is lowered together with segment 15a by operation of the conventional shift key, transporting member 15 assumes its lower position 15b in which its edge is located below the edge of the projecting part 14a of actuating member 14.

Consequently, turning movement of actuating member 14 will effect shifting of transporting member 15 in the direction of the arrow B only if transporting member 15 is in its higher position. If transporting member 15 is in the lower position 15b, projecting part 14a will pass the edge of transporting member 15 during turning movement of actuating member 14, transporting member 15 will not be shifted, and no spacing movement of the carriage will take place.

The above described apparatus operates in the following manner:

A plurality of type lever actions including key levers 1 ismounted on supporting shaft 9. If the respective keys are to be dead keys, the coupling members 6 are not hooked into the slots 7, and the carriage will not be transported by operation of the respective type lever actions, irrespective of whether the typewriter is in the upper case character position or in the lower case character position.

Those type lever actions whose keys are to be dead keys in the upper case position of the typewriter, but which are to effect a carriage step in the lower case character position of the typewriter, are connected by coupling members 6 to the linkage bar 8. Operation of any such key will effect turning of the linkage member, and transmission of the motion through members 10, 11 and 12 to the actuating member 14 which will perform a turning movement in counter clockwise direction. If the type lever segment 15a is lowered, corresponding to the upper case character position of the typewriter, transporting member 15 will be lowered to position 15b, and the edge of projecting part 14a will pass the edge of transporting member 15, so that the carriage will not perform a spacing step after an imprint has been made by type lever of the respective type lever action. However, if transporting member 15 is in the upper position illustrated in solid lines, turning movement of actuating member 14 7 under control of a type lever action will effect shifting of transporting member 15 in the direction of the arrow B, resulting in a spacing step of the carriage.

It is evident that a selected number of type lever actions can be mounted on the supporting shaft 9, and that the horizontal bar of the linkage member '8 has a number of slots corresponding to the maximum number of type lever actions which may be mounted on supporting shaft 9 and coupled to linkage member 8. Regardless of the number of type lever actions supported on shaft 9, the actuating member 14 will be operated by any one of the type lever actions to effect carriage movement, if the typewriter is in the lower case character position, while the keys will have the effect of dead keys if the conventional shift key is operated to place the typewriter in the upper case character position.

The arrangement of the present invention has the additional advantage that back spacing operations are in no way influenced when the arrangement of the present invention is built into a standard typewriter.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of typewriters differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a carriage movement control arrangement in which a carriage spacing movement takes place either in the upper case character condition of the typewriter, or in the lower case char-acter condition of the typewriter, while no spacing step is performed in the respective other condition, it is not intended to be limited to limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction for effecting a carriage step; an actuating member movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means operatively connecting each type lever action with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite said actuating member.

2. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a vertical direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a horizontal direction for effecting a carriage step; an actuating member movable in said horizontal direction and being located opposite and at the same height as said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means operatively connecting each type lever action with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite said actuating member.

3. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first directionbetween two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, saidtransporting member being; movable in. a second direction transverse to said first direction for effecting a carriage step; an

actuating member movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite said transporting member only in one of said shifted pcmitions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means including a coupling member connected to each type lever action, and a linkage member detachably connected to said coupling members, said linkage means operatively connecting said coupled type lever actions with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actionsris actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite said actuating member.

4. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction for eflecting a carriage step; an actuating member movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a row of type lever actions; and linkage means including a coupling member connected to each type lever action, and a linkage bar member detachably connected to said coupling members, said linkage means operatively connecting said coupled type lever actions with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite said actuating member.

5. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction for effecting a carriage step; a support; an actuating member turnably mounted on said support and having an actuating part movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite and in position to engage with said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and located staggered to and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means operatively connecting each type lever action with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite and in position to be engaged by said actuating part.

6. In a typewriter, in combination a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a vertical direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a horizontal direction for efiecting a carriage step; a support; an actuating member turnably mounted on said support and having an actuating part movable in said horizontal direction and being located opposite at the same height as and in position to engage with said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and located staggered to and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a plurality of type lever actions; and linkage means operatively connecting each type lever action with said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite and in position to be engaged by said actuating part.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6 wherein said actuating member includes a lever having said actuating part, and a shaft turnably mounted on said support and fixed to said lever; and wherein said linkage means include another lever fixed to said shaft, and a linkage member connected to said other lever and detachably coupled to said type lever actions.

8. An arrangement as set forth in claim 7 including a supporting shaft for supporting said type lever actions; and wherein said linkage member is turnably supported on said supporting shaft and includes a bar to which said type lever actions are coupled.

9. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction for effecting a carriage step; an actuating member movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions, a row of type lever actions; and linkage means including a linkage bar extending parallel to said row of type lever actions, said linkage bar having a row of slots respectively located opposite said type lever actions, and a coupling member connected to each type lever action and having a portion detachably and shiftably engaging a corresponding slot in said linkage bar, said linkage bar being operatively connected to said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions and located opposite said actuating member.

10. In a typewriter, in combination, a carriage movement control arrangement comprising a carriage transporting member shiftable in a first direction between two shifted positions respectively associated with upper case characters and lower case characters, said transporting member being movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction for effecting a carriage step; a sup port; an actuating member turnably mounted on said support and having an actuating part movable in said second transverse direction and being located opposite and in position to engage with said transporting member only in one of said shifted positions of the same for moving said transporting member to effect a spacing step of the carriage, and located staggered to and passing said transporting member when the same is in the other of said shifted positions; a row of type lever actions; and linkage means including a linkage bar extending parallel to said row of type lever actions, said linkage bar having a row of slots respectively located opposite said type lever actions, and a coupling member connected to each type lever action and having a portion detachably and shiftably engaging a corresponding slot in said linkage bar, said linkage bar being operatively connected to said actuating member for operating the same when any one of said type lever actions is actuated so that carriage transport is effected by said type lever actions only when said transporting member is in said one of said shifted positions 7 and located opposite and in position to be engaged by said actuating part. a

11. An arrangement as set forth in claim 10 wherein said actuating member includes a lever having said actuating part, and a shaft turnably mounted on said support and fixed to said lever; and wherein said linkage means include another lever fixed to said shaft, and a link connecting said linkage bar with said other lever.

12. An arrangement as set forth in claim 11 wherein each type lever action includes a key lever and an intermediate lever; wherein said linkage bar has a pair of arms at the ends thereof; and including a supporting shaft turnably supporting said intermediate levers and said arms, and wherein said coupling members are wires detachably articulated to said intermediate levers and having hook portions located in said slots and detachably engaging the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

